


Tales of Flowers and Boys

by Ember_Eyes_are_for_Tigers



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, I suck at tagging, Italian! Virgil, M/M, Roman is dramatic, and Logan is not impressed, trans! Patton
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 16:08:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16579766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ember_Eyes_are_for_Tigers/pseuds/Ember_Eyes_are_for_Tigers
Summary: In a world where everyone has a stem from which beautiful flowers bloom, showing how your Soulmate feels about you.Roman has three, to his overwhelming joy.





	Tales of Flowers and Boys

Roman was peculiar indeed to society.

With an intricate design of purple thorns who looked less deadly every time you watched them, orange branches full of tiny vibrant leaves who were seemingly waiting for summer and a precise light blue neon light that had always reminded Roman of computers.

Three soulmates, that’s what the thorns, the branch and the neon light meant.

Three soulmates, that were destined to love him and each other, platonically, romantically or in any other way.

When Emma and Isabella, Roman’s moms, told him that those beautiful drawings on his back were his soulmates, the six year old could hardly contain his joy. Three people that would surely love him (because they were soulmates).

That same day he decided to go and search for them, under the amused eyes of his moms (Isabella had shot different glares at Emma, because she wouldn’t stop chuckling at her sons antics).

He didn’t end up going all around the globe searching for his soulmates, nor the day after.

“Mom, where do you think orange-leaf-one is?” Asked seven year old Roman as he was being tucked into his bed.

Isabella smiled softly at her son.

“They might live somewhere where oranges are very important, sweetie-pie.”

“South Europe, maybe?”

Both Isabella and Roman stared at Emma. One full of excitement and the other pondering her wife’s words.

“I guess. Goodnight, Ro, may golden dreams come to you.”

Isabella kissed Roman’s head and the two adults left their son in the fairy lights lighted room.

“We are not going to south Europe, dear.”

“It would be an amazing vacation, though.”

Isabella chuckled, placing a kiss on her wife’s cheek.

 

* * *

 

Roman hated school.

He hated that when he told the teachers his opinion he would be sent away. When he was too loud or excited (even if it was about the current subject) he would be sent away.

Everything he did was against some school rule, not that the fact stopped him (he knew that those rules were ridiculous and if they had to be applied on him, they had to invent some better ones).

Fair to say that he was pretty used to passing hours in the school’s mostly empty hallways. His senior year of high school had been slowly advancing; ready for the summer and ready to kick them out towards college and the real world. Alas, that didn’t stop Roman from getting kicked out of the class.

Walking absentmindedly through the corridors Roman’s eye got caught by a small figure sat against the wall, that was hugging their legs tightly to their chest. Slowly Roman walked towards the figure, and at every footstep he took he could feel a tingling sensation spreading along his back.

He ignored it.

“Such a gorgeous person shouldn’t be here all gloomy and miserable.” Stated Roman, sitting next to the figure.

The figure turned their head to glance at Roman, their curls tumbling messily around their round face, before trying to disappear in their cat hoodie once again.

A pained chuckle came from the figure.

“Everyone thinks I should, though.”

“I don’t! Moreover, in this hell-hole I’m the only one whose judgment actually matters something! And I think you’re positively delightful!”

This time when the other turned, Roman could clearly see the tears swelling in their eyes before they flung themselves into Roman’s arms, hugging him.

“It’s going to be okay, sunshine.”

The nickname brought a giggle in the other, who clinged to Roman as if their life depended on it. They remained like that for a long time, until the not-so-stranger pulled away, using their hoodie to wipe away the remain tears.

“Thank you…”

“Roman Garcia, forever at your service.”

“I’m Pat-Patton.”

Just after Patton closed his mouth the door of the classroom before them cracked open, letting a girl with long blonde hair sneak outside.

“Patricia, the teacher wants you back inside.”

Patton got up gingerly and walked towards the classroom. But, before disappearing inside he turned towards Roman:

“Thank you for being there to help me. I hope we’ll see each other around the school.”

Roman smiled and Patton fled inside.

* * *

That same night Roman stayed awake, searching for the meaning of the three buds that had appeared long the orange tree branch.

Purple heathers, Roman had guessed under the faint light.

_Solitude, beauty, admiration._

As he began dozing off, his head laid on his desk and the rest of his body in a rather uncomfortable position, he wondered if Patton was the orange branch Soulmate he had dreamed of.

* * *

 

After weeks where they didn’t seem to meet again, Roman finally managed to corner Patton as he walked to school, a small bouquet of roses in hand. He had wanted to buy a bigger one, but his moms had told him that any bigger would scare the poor soul away.

“Hello, my dashing Prince!”

“Roman! Hi! What beautiful flowers you have there! Who’s the lucky one?”

Roman smiled, feeling his cheeks burn, and handing the flowers to Patton.

“These beautiful flowers are for my handsome soulmate, of course.”

Patton stared dumbfoundead at the flowers, his hand slowly reaching to cover his open mouth. As silence stretched between the two, Roman had the suspect he shouldn’t have given roses at their second meeting. However, those thoughts were quickly vanquished when Patton squealed in delight.

“I love them, Roman! Thank you so much, they’re lovely!”

A vulnerable smile, unlike the confident smirks he often displayed, appeared on Roman’s face.

“I’m… I’m glad you like them, Patton! Would you… like to go on a date… with me, sometime?”

Patton smiled softly and, as he took the flowers into his hands, he placed a kiss on Roman’s cheek, before murmuring: “I’d love to, my Soul Prince!”

Roman was left in the middle of the sidewalk, blushing to the tip of his ears and fumbling with his words.

* * *

None of the previous dates he had participated in could compete with his first date with Patton.

They had mostly taken a stroll around the park (Patton wanted to show him his favourite place in the whole city) and when Patton’s eyes shined or when he smiled brightly at him, Roman felt even more invincible than usually.

After that they were officially dating.

And Roman loved every single moment of it.

When Patton peppered his face in small kisses which made Roman giggle and blush, ~~not that he would ever admit it~~ , or when in the dead of the night, as Roman was working on his fanfictions, Patton would send him pictures of the cutest animals before telling him to go to sleep. He treasured when they passed their time together, chatting and calling each other adorable nicknames.

In a matter of months, Roman could hardly picture his life without Patton and his smiles who seemed could brighten up every room he entered.

~~Both of them, though, felt that something was missing in their relationship.~~

“I’m gonna miss you so much! I already know that without your beautiful face I would dramatically die! Which would be tragic and such a loss for everyone!”

Patton smiled, with a hint of sadness, at Roman’s extravagant antics, hugging his boyfriend tightly.

“Such an incredible loss! I would rather not think about it, my Soul Prince.”

Noticing a slight tremble in the other’s words, Roman quietly took Patton’s face in his hands, drying the tears and leaving a kiss on each cheek.

“Darling, you really mustn’t worry. We’ll be able to see each other through Skype and… it’s going to be okay, Patton.”

“I know, I’ll just miss you a lot. You’ve been here with me for the last months, supporting me and helping me with transitioning and everything, and now you… you won’t be here anymore.”

“I know I’m the dramatic one, but two hours of distance aren’t much, my dear. You’ll probably see me so much you’ll get bored of my face, not that you will: I’m too stunning!”

The other chuckled softly and Roman looked fondly at his boyfriend, wondering how could such an angel love him.

After their last bittersweet goodbye Roman left Patton in his room, his roommate nowhere to be found. As he let his mind wander he collided against another body, sending both of them sprawling on the floor.

Roman gazed at the other man and his jaw might as well have dropped.

Before him, well, on the floor next to him laid a man with chocolate brown hair, pointedly styled back, and behind the rectangular glasses a pair of cool blue eyes stared back at him with a disapproving frown.

Roman was prepared to compliment the man, ready to loudly proclaim him how beautiful he thought those eyes were, alas all that came out of his mouth was:

“You walked on me!”

“No, I didn’t walk on you! We collided because you weren’t paying attention to your surroundings!”

Roman huffed annoyed. Attractive people were often extremely bothersome.

“How dare you say that such an amazing person like myself would be inattentive enough to collide with such a handsome man!”

The other quirked a perfect eyebrow. “So, you admit you collided with me!”

As the other man got up, a smirk on his face.

“I hope we won’t see each other in the foreseeable future.” Said the man, taking his suitcase and starting to walk down the corridor.

“For Zeus’ beard, what the fuck has just happened?”

As Roman got up himself from the floor he didn’t notice the tingling sensation that had spread through his back.

That same night as he prepared for sleep (even though he would probably remain awake until two in the morning to write and chat with his European friends) he caught the neon light soulmate and Patton’s soulmark become closer. Surprised he took some minutes to inspect his back.

The purple thorned soulmate had started blooming Christmas roses that signified loosely Anxiety. And although Roman and Patton believed that it was one of Roman’s internet friends (since only he had the bloomed soulmark), they had decided to play it cool, not wanting to scare their soulmate away.

On the orange branch a pink camellia bud had appeared next to the to the daisy, which made Roman smile melancholically. However, what took him more by surprise was the neon light soulmate.

A stylized geranium bud had appeared.

_Stupidity._

Did this new soulmate without a face believe he was stupid without even meeting or knowing him? How dare they!

Alas, with his pride stricken he returned in bed, a burning sensation overwhelming him. If his soulmate, someone who was supposed to love him, thought he was stupid, was he really so?

 

* * *

 

 

Life moved on.

Lessons started and the overwhelming stress began. And although Roman had a terrible schedule that brought him to several breakdowns a week, he still found college enjoyable.

Mostly thanks to Patton and _“there’s no party until there’s anxiety”_ (an Internet friend who lived in Italy) who both managed to make him smile, even when he was sobbing on the ground eating ice cream and trying to study for tomorrow's exam.

However, deep in his guts Roman felt that something was going to change, breaking the routine he had so quickly adapted to.

One day, that hadn’t been particularly stressing or interesting, Patton had knocked on his dormitory room. Which wasn’t unusual and neither disturbing, since Roman loved seeing his boyfriends face. However, he was surprised when a handsome man, the same he had bashed against so many weeks ago and that he had discovered being Patton’s lost roommate, had entered holding Patton’s hand and blushing furiously.

“Roman!”

Patton screamed and, letting his hand drop Logan’s, he flinged himself in Roman’s arms, which brought Roman to laugh and try to spin the other man.

Something he shouldn’t have done, since the room was extremely tiny.

“Are you two hurt?”

Asked Patton’s roommate, Logan, kneeling before the two bodies on the floor.

Patton laughed delighted and got up.

“Oh, gosh! I missed you so much! And I don’t think you have met Logan, well, not face to face, at least!”

When Roman managed to stay up standing he took Logan’s outstretched hand.

“I’ve been brought to believe that we’re soulmates.” Stated Logan.

Time might as well have stopped after Logan said those words, because Roman’s mind went fluttering with thoughts.

The first being: _my soulmates are gorgeous, I need to step up my game_. And the second being: _so he’s the one that thinks I’m stupid_.

“You are extremely handsome, sure not as handsome as me or Patton, but enough so that people don’t doubt that we’re actually soulmates. However, you’re also the soulmate that believes I’m an idiot.” It only took that last sentence to let silence fall on the three of them.

And that’s when Roman’s roommate, Remy, decided to storm in. A cold Starbucks drink in hand, long pink hair a mess and his usual shades on the point of his nose.

“Gurl, you have no idea what just...“ He stopped on his tracks observing the three men in the room, “Who cares about what’s happening outside, tell me what’s happening here!”

“Remy, this is not the…”

“You’re Remy, right? Roman’s roommate! It’s so nice to meet you!” Interrupted Patton, moving to hug Remy, who sported a baffled expression.

“Gurl, I thought you were joking when you said that your boyfriend is Sunshine and Love!”

Remy moves his gaze towards Logan, “And if I’m not wrong, you’re the soulmate the believes that Roman is dumb.”

The last sentence was grave, clearly directed to a passive Logan who just fixed his tie. Patton clapped his hands:

“I guess it’s time to get out of here as fast a soul leaves a ghost!”

Logan didn’t let him repeat it twice and was quickly out of the room, leaving Roman, Patton and Remy alone.

“I’m sorry Ro, I didn’t know that…”

“It’s okay, darling.” Answered Roman placing a kiss on Patton’s forehead.

“Not in front of my Starbucks’ tea, nuh-huh!”

Patton shared a bittersweet smile with his boyfriend and followed Logan out of the room. As he heard their footsteps become quieter, Roman let himself fall on his bed with a thud.

“Gurl, you won’t hear me say it a lot, but I’m fucking sorry for you. If you ever need any help, you know where to find me.”

“Thanks Remy.”

* * *

 

**prince_of_your_dreams:** virGE, I MESSED EVERYTHING UP

**there’s no party until there’s anxiety:** wanna vent?

**there’s no party until there’s anxiety:** or do you need my help to hide a body?

**prince_of_your_dreams:** my soulmate, the one that hates me, came to visit me with pat

**there’s no party until there’s anxiety:** are you sure you don’t need my help to hide the body?

**prince_of_your_dreams:** nah, i just-

**prince_of_your_dreams:** he hates me, virge, he thinks im stupid before he even met me

**prince_of_your_dreams:** normally people think im stupid after they meet me

**prince_of_your_dreams:** what if pat will stop loving me???

**prince_of_your_dreams:** virge, i am so fucking fucked

**there’s no party until there’s anxiety:** dude, calm down. take deep breaths

**there’s no party until there’s anxiety:** at times flowers are wrong, keep that in mind

**there’s no party until there’s anxiety:** I mean, look at me! one of my three soulmates believe that I’m like the best person ever or something

**there’s no party until there’s anxiety:** so, don’t worry and inhale for 7, maintain for 4 and exhale for 8

**there’s no part until there’s anxiety:** but I also find it quite hard believing that someone could hate you, you’re amazing, ro!

**prince_of_your_dreams:** agdsfahjfks thank you virge, you’re a true angelo

**there’s no party until there’s anxiety:** hdgwedjavxjs was that Italian?

**prince_of_your_dreams:** yeah! You proud of me?

**there’s no party until there’s anxiety:** hjedfgshj ye, I am

Virgil smiled fondly at his phone, treasuring the conversation with the other man. He quickly gazed outside of the small airplane window, feeling his heart tighten at the thought of being more of a hundred meters in the air.

However, this and more for his maybe-soulmate.

**there’s no party until there’s anxiety:** I’m on an airplane right now, so i’m sorry if i will go silent for a few hours

**prince_of_your_dreams:** oooh where are you going?

**there’s no party until** **there’s anxiety:** i’m actually coming to visit you, drama queen, i should be there in nine hours I think???

* * *

Roman couldn’t believe his eyes when he read that message, quickly writing back asking if it was some kind of joke. Alas, Virgil had already went offline.

He passed the nine hours buzzing in excitement, hardly stopping.

“Gurl, calm down. It’s not like this Virgil is your soulma-” Remy stopped walking, eyeing Roman from the top of his shades “He’s your third soulmate?”

Roman nodded enthusiastically. “And Patton is in the city too! We could all meet together! That would be splendid!”

As Roman began rambling, Remy sighed heavily, trying to keep up with the others quick pace.

“Gurl, barely two hours ago you were ready to murder that nerd and now you want him, and Sunshine guy, to meet an internet friend that came specifically just to see you? Hon, you really need to put your priorities in some sort of sense!”

“Are you telling me I should make peace with him, Remy?”

“Shit, no! Although I’m not the most responsible person out there…”

“You really aren’t.” Interrupted Roman, as he took out his phone for the thirtieth time since the message.

“-Shut up! As I was saying, hon, I don’t think you should take the nerd to the airport with you. Except if you wanna send him away, in that case do what’s right.”

Silence stretched between the two, Roman began humming some upbeat tune and Remy just drank and scrolled through his phone.

“Shit.”

“Don’t you dare call me shit, gurl.” Answered Remy, without taking his eyes from his phone.

“I have an exam in twenty minutes.”

“Yes, and?” But before Remy could have his answer, Roman was already nowhere to be found, running as if there was no tomorrow.

* * *

 

 

Three hours in that damn room, answering questions and sweating like a cow.

At least he had taken a shower. Sure with freezing water that might as well have destroyed his delicate skin, but he didn’t smell like a cow.

As he moved in front of the bathroom’s mirror, which he had brought from home, he remained dumbfounded looking at the neon light soulmate and the purple thorned one.

Two soulmarks that finally had names to accompany them.

Logan and Virgil.

A stylized purple hyacinth from Logan’s stem and a jonquil from Virgil’s stem.

One for sorrow and forgiveness and the other for the hope of reciprocated affection.

Roman took a shaky breathe. He had to set everything right.

 

* * *

 

 

“Patton! Logan!”

The two men in question turned towards Roman, who was steadily walking towards them.

“Roman! I thought you didn’t want to come with us!” Exclaimed Patton. Roman noticed how quiet and closed off Logan remained.

“I did have an exam, but now that it’s defeated I wanted to come along… and I wanted to talk with my other Soulmate.”

Added Roman, moving his gaze towards a stunned Logan.

“Okay, my love, I’m going to buy some coffee as you sort things out… Please, don’t kill each other, I care too much about both.”

Placing a kiss on Roman’s and Logan’s cheek, Patton walked towards the nearest coffee shop. Out of earshot, but still close enough to be aware if the situation started spiralling downwards.

“How may I help you, Roman? You told Patton you wanted to talk with me, however I don’t understand the reasoning behind such a decision.”

“My reasoning behind wanting to clear things out? My soulmark.”

Logan quirked an eyebrow confused.

“Not _my_ soulmark, it’s actually yours. But it is on my back! I would gladly show it to you if…”

“Please don’t. I… understand what you mean.”

“Great! Because the flower that is blooming on my back signifies that you’re sorry, or that, at least, you regret being a douche the first time we met and telling me that you wished to never encounter me ag…”

“I do, though.” Whispered Logan, who has moved his gaze towards his shoes.

“Wha-?”

“I communicate better through actions, rather than words, that I must admit, and it often ends in situations that could have been resolved earlier if I had actually… tried to resolve the conflict.” Logan took a shaky breath, before continuing.

“And I… I care too much about Patton and his well-being to make him feel awful for an action I could work out. Therefore, I am sorry if my words have wounded you.”

Roman started at the other in a mixture of disbelief and softness.

“Thanks, I too want to… move on. And if I ever do, I’d love to have you next to me on this journey.”

For the first time, Logan smiled at Roman. And a small part of him hoped he would only ever smile at him.

 

* * *

 

 

Dread filled Roman as ill intentioned thoughts began tormenting him incessantly. Patton clearly saw it and placed a comforting hand on Roman’s back. Even Logan noticed Roman’s… _unusual_ jitteriness.

“You seem anxious, to say the least, if it helps you to know: I’m quite certain that our third soulmate doesn’t hate you, since he spent nine hours of his time just to come and meet you.” Commented Logan, tentatively taking Roman’s hand.

“Logan’s right, my Soul Prince, he does seem like someone who really cares about you!”

Added Patton, leaving a kiss on Roman’s cheek. He seemed to relax at the attention, although that didn’t stop him from starting to ramble nervously.

“But what if… what if when he meets me he chooses that soulmates are stupid? What if the worst happens?”

A chuckle came from behind them.

“Geez, Princey, you’re starting to sound like me. All anxious and stuff.”

Roman whipped around recognising the voice from all the chats on the Discord voice channels.

Standing before them was a man with purple bangs, dark clothes and exhausted, spectacular eyes (that no matter what Roman said, he would never show his face without the eyeshadow under).

“Virgil?”

“That’s my name, yes.”

Roman took two steps towards the smirking man: “Hug?”

A vulnerable smirk appeared on Virgil’s face before he launched himself in Roman’s arms.

“You’re actually real.”

“Yes… I am, Princey… but you’re too… and I’m hugging you and… you don’t hate me.”

Roman chuckled, his voice hitching in his throat.

“Obviously I don’t hate you! Why the heckity heck should I hate you?”

Tears began welling in ~~both~~ Virgil’s eyes, who hid his face.

“This is too wholesome to process.”

Roman turned to look at their two Soulmates, letting go of Virgil and taking his hand, hoping that such a small act would bring comfort in the other handsome man. When he turned his gaze towards the other two, he noticed Patton lightly blushing next to a seemingly unfazed Logan. ~~He had to repress a smirk.~~

“You’re Virgil, right? I’m Patton…”

“You’re... my Soulmate. Why didn’t you tell me you all knew each other?”

Roman and Patton shared a worried look. Virgil left Roman’s hand, moving to gaze at the three of them. But, before the two could open their mouth, Logan interrupted them.

“Yes, we are Soulmates. And, in my defense, I’ve only known Patton since this September, being his roommate, and I have had an encounter with Roman… it didn’t end well.” Logan coughed awkwardly, glimpsing at Roman

“We... discovered we’re Soulmates a few days ago. Also, I believe I haven’t presented myself: I’m Logan Wright.”

Virgil stared at Logan and took his outstretched hand, under Roman and Patton’s distressed gaze.

“You’re the one that thinks that Roman is a fucking idiot, am I correct?”

“I guess so, I mean our first encounter wasn’t of the best and the only times Patton told me about him, he didn’t seem like the brightest.”

“Betrayal! Awful betrayal; by my own Soulmates! What have I ever done to deserve this!”

Logan snorted and Virgil rolled his eyes as they watched Roman. Patton giggled before taking his hand and looking at Virgil.

“Yes, we didn’t wanted to tell you about knowing each other, because we were afraid that you would run away. We’re really… loud and affectionate people and if we would lose you, we would lose an opportunity to know someone amazing.”

With a shaking hand Virgil tried to dry some of the tears, who had began tumbling down his face and smearing the makeup. Smiling softly, Patton embraced Virgil, who quietly sobbed. Roman moved to hug the two of them and even Logan, though begrudgingly, placed an arm around the other three.

“It’s going to be okay, sweethearts.”

 

* * *

 

Falling for Patton had been sweet and instant, a spiral of laughter and hugs as the time slowly passed.

Falling for Virgil had been just as quick but more surprising. Gazing out of the window and hoping for the day where they could talk and bicker.

Falling for Logan had been a different story entirely. It had been gradual and steady, both not realising until they were well engraved in the routine.

A routine comprised of mornings where, as Logan prepared breakfast for everyone, Roman would sneak his arms around the other and talk and talk through whispers. Or Logan placing a kiss on everyone’s cheek, even Roman’s, before going out.

Falling for Roman was had been the best decision his three Soulmates could have made.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift exchange for @thesealwhodraws on Tumblr, the same angel decided to draw Roman's soulmarks. My friends are all so talented, I love them


End file.
